Cornish
Game Hen Recipe

Rock
Cornishwith Wild Rice Stuffing

Cornish
game hens are the veal of the poultry world, very young and tender. But before
you find a pedestal for the Cornish game hen recipe you should know something:
They're not game birds and they don't even have to be hens. Rather, they are
petite, single-serving size chickens. Bummer?

Rock
Cornish hens, a cross between Cornish and White Rock varieties, are bred for their
bountiful, succulent breast meat. Stuffed with wild rice, mushrooms and
almonds, and basted with red currant-Bourbon sauce, the birds and the recipe
are pedestal-worthy after all.

Bring the
water and salt to a boil. Gradually stir in the wild rice. Cover, reduce the
heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the white rice and continue simmering until
all the liquid is absorbed, about 30 minutes more. Stir in the butter, chopped
onions, and slivered almonds. Cover again, turn off the heat, and let the
stuffing stand for about 10 minutes.

Start
preheating your oven to 425 degrees. Stuff the birds with the wild rice mixture
and place them in shallow baking dish(es), leaving some room between them for
browning. Brush with 1/2 cup of the melted butter, then season with salt and
pepper.

Transfer
the baking dishes to your preheated oven. Reduce the temperature to 375
degrees. After 20 minutes, mix the remaining butter, melted red currant jelly
and Bourbon, and baste the hens with it. Roast, basting often, until golden
brown and crispy, and the internal temperature (center of a thigh or breast)
reaches 165 degrees, about 1 hour total roasting time.